In a 1972 Regional
newsletter, Mavis Smith reported:“In August 1971 a group of gardeners met at the home of Mr. &
Mrs. Stewart Smith.After a
program of slides showing the growth of the daylily from very early
cultivars to the present seedlings of today’s hybridizers.
Those present were asked if they
would be interested in forming a daylily society.Fourteen indicated their interest in such a group.”

“On May 19, 1972, a
meeting was held at the Daniel Boone Reginal Library, Columbia,
Missouri.The meeting
started with a slide show presented by Mr. James Whitacre.A short business meeting followed.Mrs. Stewart P. Smith (Mavis) was elected president and Mrs. Otto
E. Griessel secretary-treasurer.The object to this society is to encourage the growing of the
daylily throughout central Missouri.The Central Missouri Hemerocallis Society has 21 charter members
with 8 belonging to the AHS.”

“On Saturday, July 8,
this new society held its first official event, an exhibition of
daylilies at the Daniel Boone Regional Library, Columbia.This was not a judged show buy similar to the one that had been
held the previous year by a few members.Daylilies from 8 gardens were on display.There were 147 exhibits on scapes, a display of 58 individual
blooms, 32 scapes for decorative purposes, an educational display and
and AHS exhibit.Those
visiting the show were asked to vote for their favorite flower.This proved interesting and successful for it encouraged people
to look more closely and compare the exhibits.The top varities were a Smith seedling, Bess Ross, Bold ruler,
and Jasper Devil.Over 150
people attended.”

From this beginning 45
years ago, the Central MO Hemerocallis Society reached a peak membership
of 135 in the early 1990’s to a current membership of around 75.Some members come quite a distance to attend meetings as members
live as far away as Osage Beach, Sedalia, Jacksonville, and Mokane, MO.

Regional meetings were
held in Columbia in 1975, 1980, 1983, 1991, 1998, 2008, and 2011.

Highlights over the
years have been bus trips to a national AHS meeting in Shreveport, LA, a
club bus trip to visit Jack Carpenter’s gardens in Texas, and a club bus
trip to Linn, MO to visit the Waterman Daylily Gardens.

Active hybridizers in
CMHS keep the club vital and engaged.Our local hybridizers bring a wider view of the daylily world and
share their interest in the newest forms, colors, patterns and edges
that the non-hybridizer may not notice.Actively introducing new culivars are Nancy Rold, Patti Waterman,
and Jesse Emmons.Other
CMHS hybridizers with well-know and well-loved introductions are Julia
Semon, Jason Brown, Loyd Calvin, Bob and Eric Tankesley-Clarke, Joe
Shulze, Jim Whitacre, and Bob McConnell.

The last few years have
found CMHS dealing with the death and disability of founding and
long-term members and membership is not being revitalized by young
people.The current active
members are determined to have fun doing what interests them as long as
they can.